Ernst hohheb



May 9, 1933. E. HOHNER PIANO KEYBOARD ACCORDION Filed Jan. 6, 1932 Patented May 9, 1933 1,908,247

UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE ERNST I-IOHNEE, OE TROSSINGEN', GERMANY PIANO KEYBOARD ACCORDION {Application filed January 6, 1932, Serial No. 584,932, and in Germany January 14, 1931.

This invention relates to piano keyboard By way of example, several embodiments accordions. of the invention are illustrated in the ac- In the usual type of accordions of this companying drawing.

class the keys are arranged so that )laying, Figure 1 shows a player performingon an p U particularly on the lower keys, is rendered accordion fitted with the hitherto prevail- 55 difficult. Furthermore, considerable pracing form of keyboard, the hand and fingers tice is required to touch the keys correctly, being in an unnatural position while play since the hand will soon get tired and hurt, ing on the lower keys.

while the body of the player often assumes Figure 2 shows a player performing on w an unnatural and ugly position. All these one type of keyboard according to the in- 60 drawbacks are due to the fact that the keys vention and holding his hand and fingers in above and below maintain the same distance a convenient and natural position. relative to the longitudinal edge of the case, Figures 3, 4e and 5 are top views of acwhich compels the player to distort his cordions disclosing three different key arhand and fingers in a most unnatural way rangement according to the invention. 7 65 when using the lower keys. Referring to the drawing, the accordion a The invention eliminates these defects by is of the usual construction and provided arranging the keys in a manner correspondwith a so-called piano keyboard having the ing as much as possible to the natural mokeys 7) which are similar to the keys in pianos tions of the hand or fingers when playing, and which are disposed on the keyboard d. particularly on the lower keys, as well as to According to the invention, the keys I) the most favorable position of the forearm. are arranged in such a manner, or the key- In order to attain the object of the invenboard 0 in connection with this key arrangetion, the lower keys are disposed so as to exment has such a shape, that playing on the tend more and more outwardly and to oclower keys I) is considerably facilitated cupy a position corresponding to the natural (Fig. 2) as compared with the old arrangemotions of the playing hand and fingers ment shown in Fig. 1 while playing on the while the forearm is in its most favorable upper keys is not interfered with. This is position. This desirable position of the made possible according to the invention keys may be brought about by arranging the by removing the ends of the lower keys I) 89 straight row of keys obliquely to the longion the outer edge cl of the board 0 farther tudinal edge of the frame, so that the lingerfrom the longitudinal edge e of the case f board projects outwardly below. Or the of the accordion than the corresponding keyboard may be curved so as to project ends of the middle or upper keys I).

outwardly only below while its upper por- So far as the essential feature of the tion extends more or less straight or paralinvention is concerned, it is immaterial how lel to the longitudinal edge of the frame. this position of the keys I) is attained. Fig. Or the edge of the keyboard may be curved 3 shows, for example, a construction in completely on top and below. The keys which the board 0 together with the cus- 40 will be disposed vertically or radially to tomary key set (Fig.1) is disposed obliquethe outer edge of the keyboard, so that all ly to the edge e of the case or frame f. Figs. or some of them will be arranged obliquely l and 5, on the other hand, disclose conto the longitudinal edge of the case or frame. structions in which the outer edge d of the The keys may broaden towards the rear board 0 is curved. In Fig. 4:, only the lower 45 so as to have a conical shape which may portion of the board 0 being curved while be common to all keys or only to the black the construction shown in Fig. 5 is curved ones. Otherwise, the arrangement of the both on top and below. keys, their position relative to the outer edge The three constructional forms do not,

of the keyboard and their construction are however, completely cover the invention, as

50 immaterial. other forms of the keys I) are possible.

It is further immaterial how the keys 6 are arranged on the boards 0. In the construction according to Fig. 3 the keys b are tpositioned vertically to the outer edge 5 d 0 the board 0 in the usual way, unless it is desirable to place all or some of them in a different position relative to the edge (I.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the keys 6 of the board 0 are in the lower por- 10 tion disposed vertically to the edge d, 1. e.,

radially to the curvature.

Fig. 5 discloses a construction, in which the edge (2' of the board 0 has a similar curve on top and below, and the ke s b are preferably arranged radially witli out exception.

It is also immaterial how, in curved boards a, compensation is provided in the rear of the keys b. For example, all or only some keys, such as the black ones, may be broader in the rear than in front, that is, be slightly conical in shape, as shown in Fig. 5, or compensation may be made in other ways.

I claim 1. An accordion with piano keyboard comprising a case and a plurality of keys disposed in rows the keys in the lower portion of the board projecting gradually outwardly.

8 2. An accordion according to claim 1, in which the outer edge of the keyboard and the outer line of the row of keys extend in a straight line, the lower end of the edge and line projecting farther outwardly than the upper end and extending obliquely to the longitudinal edge of the case.

3. An accordion according to claim 1, in which the lower part of the keyboard and of the outer line of the row of keys are 0 curved outwardly.

4. An accordion according to claim 1, in which the lower and the upper art of the keyboard and of the outer line of the row of keys are curved outwardly.

5. An accordion according to claim 1, in which the keys are disposed vertically to the outer edge of the ke board.

a 6. An accordion accor ing to claim 1, in which the keyboard and the outer line of the row of keys are curved and the keys are disposed radially to the curve.

11 accordion according to claim 1, in which the keys have a trapezoidal form.

In testimony whereof, I afiix signature.

ERNST HOHNER. 

